Mastering Mango Pests Quiz Quiz

Assess your knowledge of common pests affecting mango crops and effective management strategies. Improve your understanding of pest identification and integrated control methods for healthier mango harvests.

1. Identifying Hoppers

   Which insect is considered one of the most serious pests of mango trees, especially during flowering, due to its sap-sucking habits causing inflorescence drying?

   1. Termite
   2. Fruit borer
   3. Mealybug
   4. Mango hopper

   Explanation: Mango hoppers are notorious for damaging mango flowers and young leaves by sucking sap, resulting in inflorescence drying and fruit drop. Fruit borers primarily attack developing fruits, mealybugs infest the stem and roots, and termites damage roots and branches but do not directly attack inflorescences.

2. Mango Fruit Fly Impact

   Which symptom most likely indicates a mango fruit fly infestation in harvested mangoes?

   1. Sticky honeydew on leaves
   2. Wilting of young shoots
   3. Maggots emerging from the fruit pulp
   4. White cottony masses at the base of the trunk

   Explanation: Maggots inside or emerging from fruit pulp signify mango fruit fly infestation, as larvae develop within the fruit. Sticky honeydew is associated with sap-sucking insects like hoppers or mealybugs; wilting shoots are often due to stem borers, and white cottony masses are connected to mealybugs.

3. Preventive Management

   What is an effective cultural method to prevent mango mealybug infestation in an orchard?

   1. Covering fruits with plastic bags after fruit set
   2. Spraying copper-based fungicide during flowering
   3. Increasing irrigation frequency during flowering
   4. Ploughing and removal of soil around tree trunks before winter

   Explanation: Ploughing and removing soil exposes mealybug eggs and reduces hatching near tree trunks, minimizing infestation. Copper-based fungicides target fungal pathogens, bagging fruits helps against fruit borers but not mealybugs, and increasing irrigation doesn't directly impact mealybug populations.

4. Timing of Pest Control

   During which mango growth stage should chemical management for hoppers be prioritized for maximal effectiveness?

   1. Seedling stage
   2. Fruit ripening stage
   3. Flowering stage
   4. Post-harvest stage

   Explanation: Hopper damage is most critical during flowering, causing losses in fruit set; thus, this is the key stage for control. At fruit ripening, damage is less significant; seedling and post-harvest stages are not main hopper targets.

5. Natural Enemies

   Which type of natural enemy can help biologically manage mango fruit fly populations in orchards?

   1. Parasitoid wasps
   2. Carpenter bees
   3. Spider mites
   4. Leaf-cutting ants

   Explanation: Parasitoid wasps lay eggs in fruit fly larvae or pupae, reducing adult emergence. Leaf-cutting ants and spider mites can themselves be pests, not beneficial for fruit fly control. Carpenter bees do not affect fruit flies.